Neil Carson, NATO strategy directorate, capability delivery section, leads a break-out group discussion about emerging technologies with various experts - including Dr. Sven Gareis, deputy dean of resident programs for the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies (right), at the first PfPC Emerging Security Challenges working group workshop held at the NATO Defense College, Rome, March 12-13. (Courtesy photo) Click to enlarge

Dr. Sven Gareis, deputy dean of resident programs for the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies, discusses securitization, emerging technologies, dual impact and the way forward in break-out sessions with experts at the first PfPC Emerging Security Challenges working group workshop at the NATO Defense College, Rome, March 12 to 13. (Courtesy photo) Click to enlarge

Approximately 20 experts from nine countries participated in the first Partnership for Peace Consortium for Defense Academies and Security Studies Institutes’ Emerging Security Challenges Working Group workshop at the NATO Defense College in Rome March 12 and 13.

Representatives from Canada, Germany, India, Poland, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the United States, Turkey and Sweden took part in the workshop.

Dealing with emerging technologies and their possible impacts on international security were the key focus throughout the discussions of the workshop. Other topics included securitization of technology; what policy makers need to know when considering emerging security challenges; strategic security trends and futures analyses; and others. The group will concentrate on discussing policy implications at the next workshop this summer.

In Rome, this first workshop was aimed at establishing criteria to understand and categorize emerging security challenges and their possible effects on security in our societies, said Sean Costigan, working group senior advisor. This was the first step to begin the dialogue and work – to set the stage.

Areas of expertise represented at the workshop included professionals in the areas of science and technology/cyber, intelligence, defense studies and policy making, political advisors, researchers, and representatives from peace institutions and other security studies institutes, as well as NATO.

“Emerging security challenges include a broad range of issues cross-cutting multiple domains including geopolitics, economics, society, environment and technology,” said Dr. Raphael Perl, PfPC executive director. “The expert composition of this workshop was designed, in part, to approach emerging security challenges holistically with an eye to identifying, prioritizing and better understanding them. Within this context, our experts have much to offer.”